Electric show-case alarm



(No Model.)

B. O. KRUSOHKB. ELECTRIC SHOW CASE ALARM.

No. 460,019. Patented Sept. 22,1891.

Q- A A y WITNESSES: L m VENTOH:

BY Mm fig A TTORNEYS UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

RUDOLPH O. KRUSCHKE, OF DULUTI I, MINNESOTA.

ELECTRIC SHOW-CASE ALARM.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 460,019, datedSeptember 22, 1891.

Application filed December 1, 1890. $erial No. 373.107- (No model.)

T0 on whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, RUDOLPH O. KRUSCHKE, of Duluth, in the county of St.Louis and State of Minnesota, have invented a new and Improved ElectricShow-Case Alarm, of which the following is a specification, referencebeing had to the annexed drawings, forming a part thereof, in whichFigure 1 is a perspective view showing a portion of the show-case withmy improvement attached. Fig. 2 is an enlarged longitudinal section of aportion of the tray. Fig. 3 is an enlarged side elevation of one of thespringclips for holdingjewelry. Fig. 4 is an inverted plan view of thetray, and Fig. 5 isa perspective view of a plug for holding the clipsopen.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all theviews.

The object of my invention is to provide a simple and effectiveelectrical alarm for attachment to show-cases, for detecting the absenceof an article from the tray of the showcase.

My invention consists in the combination, with the case provided with anumber of metallic strips upon the floor thereof, of one or more traysprovided with spring clips for holding articles, the said springclipsbeing connected electrically in multiple arc and held open by thearticles contained by the tray, the tray being furnished withcontact-points bearing on the metallic strips on the floor of theshow-case, and the metallic strips being in the circuit of a battery, inwhich is included an electric alarm-bell, all as will be hereinaftermore fully described.

The show-case A is of the ordinary construction, except that its floor Bis provided with a number of metallic strips a b, which alternate witheach other, the strips a being connected with one pole of a battery 0,and the strips 1) being connected with the other pole of the batterythrough the electric bell D. The tray E, which is designed to containthe articles displayed in the show-case, is furnished with a number ofspring-clips F, each formed of a pair of curved springs c 0, extendingup wardly from the top of the tray and provided with contact-points d dand with rounded ends 6 e. The springs c c are oppositely ar ranged withrespect to each other, and their upper ends, as far down as thecontact-points, are provided with a covering f of plush,

leather, or other insulating material. The top of the tray upon itsunder surface is provided at opposite ends with metallic strips G G. Thestrip G is connected electrically with all of the springs c of the tray,and the strip G is connected electrically with all of the springs 0,thus connecting all the springs in multiple arc.

XV hen the clips F are all filled, the contactpoints (Z d are separatedand prevented from touching, as shown in Fig. 2; but when an articleisremoved from any one of the clips, the contact-points (Z (1 cometogether and close the electric circuit of the tray, so that when thetray is replaced in the case A and the studs g, projecting from thestrips G G, touch the strips a Z), the circuit of the battery 0 will beclosed and the bell B will give an alarm, showing that an article isabsent from one of the clips.

\Vhere the goods to be displayed are insufficient to entirely fill thetray, blocks II are inserted in the vacant clips, thus keeping thepoints d d out of contact.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent 1. The combination, with a show-case tray,

of two similar spring clips oppositely arranged with respect to eachother, and supports adapted to hold articles for display and constructedto form an electrical contact with each other when the articles areremoved from the clips, substantially as specified.

2. The combination, with a show-case, of an electric alarm, abattery,and a removable tray provided with circuit closing devicesadapted to be operated automatically when articles are removed from thetray, and electrical connections with the tray whereby the alarm isgiven when the tray is replaced in the show-case, substantially asspecified.

The combination, with the show-case A and tray E, of the alarm-bell B,the metallic strips a b, the battery (1, the clips F, contained by thetray and adapted to hold articles for display, and the wires connectingthe strips a b with the battery C,substantially as specified.

RUDOLPH KRUSOI'IKE.

Witnesses:

JosErH B. CoTroN, HOMER B. DIBELL.

